Anyone who thought the specter of a Minnesota Vikings move to Los Angeles would be the elephant in the room Friday when NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell met with Minnesota lawmakers were being naive: The subject was very much talked about.
Gov. Mark Dayton himself confirmed that, according to the Los Angeles Times.
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"One of us -- a legislator -- brought the subject up," the governor said after the meeting. The NFL "said they would like to have a team in Los Angeles (and) they would like to have it not be the Vikings," he added.
State Sen. Julie Rosen, sponsor of a stadium bill approved by an initial committee on Friday, also said a potential move to the West Coast was discussed.
"There is no ultimatum, but we did clearly talk about L.A. We did clearly talk about that is an open market," Rosen said.
"I do believe there is a feeling in some legislators and even in some folks throughout the state that they would never leave. So it was good to hear from the NFL, and from a very prominent owner, that they do have the right to move or be sold."
Goodell and Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney II, head of the league's stadium committee, were in Minnesota on Friday to pressure lawmakers into moving forward after a state House committee voted down a $975 million new stadium proposal earlier in the week.
Though the Vikings will play next season in the Metrodome, their lease there has expired, and the facility is not considered adequate for NFL use in the future.
